Sleigh.



J; E. HOBBS.

SLEIGH.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.19, 190s.

2 sHnnTs-sBBBT i.

" anuentoz Patented Apr. 6, 1909.

JOHN EDWARD HOBBS, OF N ORTH BERWIGK, MAINE.

SLEIGH.

No. 917,43l. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented April 6, 1909.

Application filed December 19, 1905. Serial No. 292,483.

springs mounted upon one of the crossiers,

the dotted l nes showing the position of the parts when depressed.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drmvings, A indicate counterpart runners, which are connected at their front extremities by the cross-bar B and at their rear extreinlties to the cross-her nets-s laterally slightly beyond the outer feces f the opposed runners A; but in one form of the invention, the ends of the front cross-bar L- projcct leterolly beyond the runners A. to e greater extent then the slightly projecting ends of the cross bar C, end are provided With couplings B to engage the thills H, so that To (illicit/omit11mg; comm-n: E C Each runner includes e Wooden base- Be it known that 1, JOHN EDWAl-ID Hones, oer A, Whose opposite ends a are curved e citizen of the United States, residing at upwardly, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Each lilorth .l'iOl'WiGli, in the county of York and; 1 base bar A is provided With a shoe A], of State of lrieinc, heye invented. new and useiron or steel, the extremities a of Which ful Improvements in Sleighs, of which. the project beyond the curved ends a of the following is specification. hass e-er and are respectively secured to the This invention relates to running gears for cross srs B, C. These cross-burs and C 'ghs, pungs or wheel-vehides. are rigidly secured to the base-burs A and ijne object is to provide it structure the trusses l), Which letter are fixed at their wherein the ports thereof may be quickly crowns to said cross-hers and provided nsseinliiled and rcudily disassembled, the with downwardly divergent liinhs (7/, fixed improvements be equally applicable to all upon said base-bars. Each truss D is types of vehicles. braced by standards D the feet (Z of which Another object resides in the provision of fixed upon the respective bese bers A a unitary ironic-Work independent of the intermediate of the limbs cl of the trusses. vehicle body to which it nnty be attached, The standards are secured to the limbs d and including as a cue-recto tic feature, of the trusses at d intermediate of their springs ha ing connection at their ends with height and extend laterally hcneeth the the fro-inc Work and in the rear of their 1 respective cross-bars l3 and C, to which. centers with the body of the vehicle. latter they are secured at d. The proximal A still further object of the invention is to limbs d of the trusses D upon the respect'vo provide structure wherein a pair of springs cross-bore A are connected by respective may have yield able connection. with the tie-bars E, which are secured to said limbs d 0 elements of the frame Work while another at 52 end said tie-bars E are connected with pair of 'springs nnty have yieldsble and the said base-bars intermediate their ends slid-able connection. with elements of the by means of the brackets 6. frame work. l The pair of springs F, which are arranged With the above and. other objects in view, longitudinally of the body 1, and which conthe present invention consists 'n the comnect the cross-hers B and C pcrellel with the binution and arrangement of parts hereinhose A, preferably comprise four or aft-er more fully described, shown in the lliOI'G loaves arched, shown in l 1, the accompanying drawings, and particularly lowermost of the respective lcztvesf oi said pointed out in the sppended claims, it being springs i? being extended beneath the respecunderstood that changes in the form, protive cross-hers ii and G and upturned end portion, size and n details may be mode recurved, so as to overhang said cross-hers. Within the scope of the claims Without The overhanging ends of said springs l are dcpzu'ting from the spirit or sacrificing any mounted upon hearing plates 5 and 0 upon of the advent-ages of the invention. the respective cross-hers l3 and (l, to Which In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 they are secured by the clip bolts 1)", which is :1 side elevation of e structure ernbodypreferably extend across the ends of the ing my invention; 2 is it plain view of springs diagonally, best shown in Fig. 5, so a running gear for 'sleighs. Fig. 3 is a front as to distribute the strain upon. each spring eleva ion; Fig. 'l is res elevation; Fig. .3 end to lessen the possibility of splitting the is e detail perspective yiew illustrating one bars. The downwardly turned ends of of the cross-hers end the connection thcresoid springs F engage the inner edges of said with of one spring of each pair thereof. cross-hers and C, clearly shown in the 6 is o front elevation of one of the end drawings and prevent longitudinal displaceine of the springs. The cross-bur C terrni- O the said bar B constitutes the draft-bar of the structure above described, which is so constructed and arranged as to be self-supporting independently of any vehicle body. If preferred, however, both cross-bars B and C may terminate slightly beyond the outer faces of the opposed runners; that is, about one inch therebeyond or sufficiently far as to give the fastening bolts a firm. hold on the cross-bars. In such an event, a draft-bar not shown could be provided to extend across the nose of the runner and be connected up with the front cross-bar B in any suitable manner.

From the foregoing it will be understood that, while I illustrate a sleigh in the accompanying drawings, and disclose my improved gear as applied thereto, that I intend to cover my invention in the ap )ended claims in such manner as to include tie use or application of the gear to, pungs, wheel-vehicles and the like. It will be seen that 1 illustrate a double-seated. body and that the bottom thereof is of the drop bottom variety. At any rate regardless of the nature of the body and whether it be of the single or double seat variety, the body is located upon the side springs about where it will evenly balance with two persons on one or upon each seat; that is, the body is preferably mounted upon the side springs in the rear of the centers of the latter, thereby cushioning or distributing the strain incident to pressure exerted upon the body. It will also be seen that the front seat of the body is higher than the rear seat thereof, thereby providing space for the interposition of a cross-spring 2 between the bar B and the flat part 3 of the floor immediately in the rear of the bent up portion or dash board of the vehicle. I might state that in the case of a pung body, where the load is usually distributed over the bottom of the body, the bearing may, if desired, if not preferably be disposed in the center of the springs.

The cross-spring 2 is preferably composed of two or more leaves and has its crown se' cured to the bottom of the body in any suit able manner, there being, of course, a yoke 5 between the crown and the body. It might be remarked that a single leaf may be preferred under certain conditions. Each end of this spring 2 or the lowermost leaf of a series of them, is bent to form a lip 6 de signed to lie normally in engagement with the outer edge of the projecting portion a of the shoe A of the respective runners, upon which latter the body portion of said spring rests at its opposite ends, as clearly shown in the drawings. In ord-r to insure the ends of said spring 2 to rest upon the upper faces of said projecting portions a of said shoes, the ends of the spring are passed through the eyes 7 of the clips or bolts 8, which pass through the front cross-bar B upon the inner side of the projecting portions 11 These clips or eye bolts 8 are similar to the belts or clips I) which hold the side springs on the aforesaid cross-bars Band C. it is evident that if these elements 8 are drawn ti ht upon the ends of the end springs, the possibility of rattling is obviated, and. also, that the ends of said springs will be forced outwardly pon downward movement of the body 1, due to pressure, and that said elements 8 will prevent the body from moving sidewise or bounding upwardly to any appreciable eX- tent when the body is relieved from pressure. Cooperating with the aforesaid side and end springs, is another end spring 9 mounted upon the rear cross-bar C in precisely the same manner as is the front cross or end spring mounted upon the front cross-bar B, with its crown portion secured in a manner similar to the securing of the crown portion of the front end or cross-spring to the body I. The only difference in the two springs at the ends of the body resides in their location, one being secured to the front of the body, as explained, and the other being secured to the rear of the body immediately beneath the overhanging rear seat.

The structure above described is so arranged that the weight of the body I and its contents is distributed by the springs F to the cross-bars B and C in such a manner as to tend to separate said cross-bars in the direction of the length of the runners and said runners are braced against the strain placed upon them by the trusses D having their limbs fixed to the base-bars A. 'flhe tiebars E also serve to brace the trusses D against displacement in the direction of the strain placed upon them by said springs and tend to stiffen the base-bars A. However, regardless of any particular structure or frame work, I wish it understood that my invention, in this instance, resides in the cooperation of the end pair of springs or one of them with the pair of side springs; and also, in the securing of the side springs in the rear of their centers. By virtue of the downwardly directed or overhanging ends f 2 of the side springs F the latter are not disengaged or movable upon the bars B and C incident to a downward pressure upon the body and springs, although under a downward pressure the ends of the end springs 2 and 9 slide in the aforesaid eyes or clips of the bolts 8, The result is that the maximum strength of the runners is had without interference with the light and graceful appearance of the latter. Moreover, although the basebars A, braced and connected as above described, form a very rigid and substantial base for the vehicle, the superimposed. springs and parts connected therewith are so arranged as to afford the maximum resiliency of connection between the vehicle-body and base-bars, insuring comfort to occupants of the vehicle. Furthermore, since the bearing of the present gear on the floor or ground is only about four l face engaging members; of a feet four inches in direct contradistinction to a s'*; or twelve inch longer bearing, common upon a single seated sleigh, and has its bearing in the rear of the center thereof, the sleigh rides easier and turns more evenly and readily than if constructed otherwise.

Obviously, he present arrangement is applicable to a single seated sleigh, and if esired, in this latter application of the invention, one of the transverse or cross springs at one end of the body may be dispensed with. Jar-ring incident to passing over cradle-holes in the roadway is obviated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle, the combination with surface engaging members; of a bor y mounted above the members; cross bars superimposed between said members and body; a spring disposed at each end of the body and having slidable connection with the corresponding cross bar; and a spring arranged longitudinally of the body and having its ends engaged with the inner faces of the bars.

2. In a vehicle, the combination with surface engaging members; of a body mounted above said members, cross bars superimposed between the members and body; a spring secured to each end of the body and having slidable connection with the respective cross bars; and a spring connected to the body upon each side thereof, each of the side springs connecting said cross bars, the ends of the side springs overlapping the bars with their eXtreni"-ies directed downwardly against the inner face of the ba s.

3. In a vehicle, the combination with surface engaging members; of a be y mounted above the said members; cross-bars superimposed between the said members and body; springs connecting the cross-bars and a spring disposed at each end of the body and having slidable connection with the corresponding cross-bar.

d. In a vehicle, the combination with surface engaging members; of a body mounted above said members; cross-bars superimposed between the members and body; springs connecting the cross-bars and body; and a spring having connection with the body at the one end thereof and mounted for sliding movement upon the ends of one of the cross-bars.

In a vehicle, the combination with surface engaging mom ers; of a body mounted above said members, cross bars superimposec between the members and body; a spring se cured to each end of the body and having connection with the respective cross bars; and a spring connected to the body upon each side thereof, the ends of the side springs overlapping the cross bars with their extremities directed downwardly against the inner faces of the latter.

6. In a vehicle, the combination with surbody disposed above the said members; cross-bars superimposed between the members and body; springs connecting the cross-bars and having connection. in the rear 0" their centers with the said body; and springs having connection with the ends of the body and therespective cross-bars.

7. In vehicle, the combination with surface engaging members; of a body disposed above said members; cross-bars arranged between the members and body; springs connecting the cross-bars and having connection upon one side of their centers with the body; and a spring arranged at each end of the body and connected therewith, the ends of the last named springs having slidable connection with the respective cross-bars.

8. In a vehicle, the combination with surface engaging members; of a body disposed above said members; cross-bars between the said members and body; a spring arranged upon each side of the body and having connection therewith upon one side of its center, each of said. springs having its ends in engagement with the res ective cross-bars a s )rm connected to the body at each end thereof directly over the corresponding cross-bar; and a connection between the cross-bars and the opposite ends of the corresponding springs whereby the end springs may have sliding movement upon the cross-bars longitudinally thereof.

In a vehicle, the combination with surface engaging members, of a body, cross bars disposed between the said members and body, sprin gs connected upon the rear side of their centers to the body and engaging the cross bars; and springs secured one at each end of the body and having movable connection with the corresponding cross bar.

10. In a vehicle, the combination with surface engaging members; of a body mounted above the members; cross bars between the body and members, a spring secured to each end of the body; a spring secured to each side of the body, the ends of the latter springs embracing the bars and terminating adjacent the inner faces of the bars.

11. In a vehicle, the combination with surface engaging members including shoes; of a body mounted above the members; cross bars between the body and members; a spring secured to each end of the body with its free ends slidably mounted upon the corresponding cross bar; other springs connect ed to said body with their ends overhanging the cross bars, the free ends of the first men tioned springs being directed downwardly for engagement with the free ends of the shoes of the surface engaging members to limit the inward sliding movement of the former.

12. In a vehicle, the combination with surface engaging members; of a body; cross bars arranged beneath the body; springs conyieldable elements mounted upon each crossnecting the cross-bars and having connection bar, each of the latter elements having its with the body upon one side of their centers; ends slidable upon the respective cross-bar. and a spring arranged at one end of the body In testimony whereof I affix my signature, 5 and havirgg connection with the correspond- I in presence of two subscribing Witnesses. in cross ar. A

13. In a vehicle, the combination with I JOHN EDVARD HOBBS Witnesses l THEODORE GOULD, I FRED W. PEAKES.

surface engaging members; of a body; cross bars disposed beneath the body; yieldable 10 elements connecting the cross bars; and 

